Talk:Devil/@comment-24768935-20140728035127/@comment-72.162.173.46-20140729164008
This is directed to the person prior to me who said they're worried about demonization, but obviously enough anyone can reply or respond. Let me start by clarifying what you mean when you say, "demonization". Are you talking about real-world mythological demons, or the incubus of KC's world? If the former, I'd agree with you and this wall-o'-text doesn't apply, because the demons of our myths are pretty damned horrible. But if you're talking about Cross' definition of 'demon' and 'incubus' as pertains to the MGE setting, then continue on to the next paragraph. Now then. Honestly, I still don't understand folks' complaint about not being 'human' anymore. If our descendants are still around in half-a-million years or so, they won't be 'human' anymore either. To exacerbate the issue, if we ever embrace genetic engineering, 'pure' humans will likely quickly see a decrease in population as people take to eugenic alterations, which is to say genetic changes made with the intent of bettering ourselves in one way or another, even if it's just aesthetically. There's nothing about our present species name that makes us better than the generalized idea of post-humans. 'Human' is a physical state. Nothing more. It does not somehow make us mentally, spiritually, or emotionally whole, pure, or even always functional. As humans, we're constantly plagued by countless 'human' failings, including inherited disease, both physical and mental, as well as our own most negative emotional traits, including a proclivity to make each other far less alive than we were five minutes ago because one of us likes his waffles with syrup and the other with butter. That's the purity of the real-world human. Disease-ridden, mentally unstable, and murderous by nature. Oh, we've good traits a-plenty. But a lot of people like to idealize those while pretending the negative traits don't exist; I'm just balancing the scale ever so slightly by doing the opposite. With regard to KC's fictionalized, idealized state of becoming an incubus: If one were to become an 'incubus'? It's an almost purely physical change. Said physical changes have only beneficial effects including enhanced physical abilities, longer lifespan, and resistance(even outright immunity) to disease. The mental changes are relatively small, and in my personal opinion completely beneficial. Reduced aggression and a higher sex drive, neither of which rise to the point of interfering with daily life? I see nothing negative there, and neither are things that cannot easily happen through simple real world means. In the real world, if you're having aggression issues, what do you do? You get therapy(which may include medication). In many cases, such therapy is not something you choose. Rather, it is court ordered because you've been making a public nuisance of yourself. Reduced aggression by way of becoming an incubus is only different in that it takes effect quicker and brings a slew of obviously beneficial effects. In the real world, low sex drive is often an early symptom of growing health concerns. When someone doesn't want to have sex in any appreciable amount, it is normally attributable to physical or mental health concerns ranging from depression to the Beetus. Seen through that lense, the increased sex drive of the incubus is honestly just an indicator of greater health which, as we've ascertained, they have. Most of the arguments I've seen against the idea of becoming an incubus seem centered on this idea that somehow, we, as we presently are, are at the absolute pinnacle of evolution, when the fact is that we've got a long way to go yet.